Fantasy Members' Fluff

[Andrew]

Just like the 40k one. If you have something you want to write and quasi-publish, stick it here for comments and criticisms!

This one is Josh and me last year. Good times!

I wrote a story on it for some S&G, borrowing a similar batrep from a white dwarf for some inspiration . There are a couple numbers wrong for casualties, since I can't remember exactly what happened. But it's pretty close.

* * * * *
Dropping down from the clouds, Paladin Ayden surveyed the battlefield below him. Powerful wings beating slowly, his faithful pegasus mount whinnied, echoing across the skies. The paladin’s eyes were drawn to the massed ranks of hand gunners and cannon in the center of the Empire formation. He wondered why Empire had entrusted so much equipment to a mere wizard.

It matters not, he thought. We shall see how they fare against the might of Bretonnia. That ignorant wizard is dwelling in things beyond his power. For that he shall be punished.

His face setting to stone, Paladin Ayden swept down over the battlefield to land amongst his troops.
* * * * *
Gustav Schepke, battle wizard of Middenheim, glared angrily across the battlefield as the great white creature landed. He recognized the heraldry of the knight who rode the pegasus as that of the so called Ayden the Brave.

We shall see just how brave he is this day when he faces our guns, snorted Gustav.

“Ready the cannon!” he bellowed.
* * * * *
In the middle of the Empire line engineer Fritz pointed to the enemy, whose heads were bowed in prayer. The team loaded the gunpowder and cannon ball. He glanced uneasily at the otherworldly mist that seemed to rise around the knights. Looking left he saw the swordsmen phalanx close by, giving him some measure of comfort. Further down the line were the hand gunners and mortar, busy loading up as his crew was, with the wizard Gustav beyond.

Damned wizards, always wanting something they can’t get, so they send us to get it for them, he thought.

To the right was the block of spearmen and yet more hand gunners, with the pistoliers riding far beyond, hoping to sneak around to the Bretonnian flank.

Aiming for the large group of knights, the cannon opened fire with a tremendous roar. Fritz followed the cannon ball as it flew across the field, bouncing in front of the unit before plowing through their ranks. Heads still bowed in some final pre-battle prayers, the cannon ball smashed knights from their saddles, the bloody mess spraying across the Bretonnians’ colorful tabards and shining armor. A cheer went up from the Empire lines, but died when the enemy showed no signs of panic, instead lifting their heads, a faint angry glow in their eyes.

Gustav built up power for his most powerful spell, one that would wreak havoc among the massed knights, but he felt his magic ebb and flow away, fizzling out his attempts. Angered, he looked across the battlefield, spotting a beautiful woman weaving her hands in the air, almost as if to mock him. Cursing, he began to prepare it again…<br>* * * * *
Paladin Ayden was furious. The foul black powder weapons of the Empire had killed two of his loyal knights. The rest of the army raised their heads, finishing their devotions to their divine protector, the Lady of the Lake, and moved forward, drawing nearer the Empire battle line.

At the Paladin’s command, his pegasus rose into the air, landing just on the other side of a wood, awaiting his knights to get into position. Taking in his opponents’ actions, he shook his head. Trust the Empire to fight from distance, refusing honorable combat.

Damsel Nichol walked amongst the peasant bowmen, nearly stunning them with her mere presence.

They’ve probably never been this close to a priestess of the Lady, she thought. I am here to give them hope and guidance for this conflict. She concentrated on the other magically attuned mind on the field, sensing him building up power for his spell. Damsel Nichol vowed to not let whatever it was get through to hurt the Bretonnians.
* * * * *
The pistoliers rounded the edge of a building, coming about to face the bowmen and damsel. Startled by the proximity of the Bretonnians, the horses reared, and it was all the pistoliers could do to keep them in line, wasting the window to mow down the peasants.

“Hurry up with that cannon ball!” yelled Fritz. He watched the Bretonnians getting closer and he did not want them to ever reach him. They clearly had some faint shimmering around their bodies now, and he wanted none of that. Gustav cast his spell again, assured it would work…<br>* * * * *
Damsel Nichol lifted her head quickly, sensing her other building immense power. She dug out and held up high a silver mirror, bequeathed to her from the Lady. This was no ordinary mirror, and Nichol smiled, knowing that the Empire wizard had no idea what was about to happen…<br>* * * * *
Gustav smiled as he watched the cascading fire of his spell ripple through the air towards the knights. Suddenly from the Bretonnian lines came a bright flash, blinding Gustav and knocking him unconscious.

When he came to he was on his back. Sitting up, his head throbbing, he touched his lip. Blood trickled down from his nose. Getting up he saw his magic had been dispelled and cursing the lady once more, he once more began his spell.

The mortar crew lobbed a shell up high, shrieking down into the large unit of knights barreling toward the Empire lines. The knight hit directly by the shell was smashed to a pulp, but his surrounding comrades’ armor didn’t fail, even though peppered with bits of mortar shell and gristle. Blasting its voice, the cannon fired again, bouncing a cannon ball through the knights. Fritz was happy to see one knight obliterated along with his mount, but his jaw dropped when it bounced off the knight behind the first. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The hurtling cannon ball just rebounded off the armor of the knight, landing with a thud in the ground.

That’s just not possible, he thought, helping his crew load another cannonball.
* * * * *
Paladin Ayden watched as the knights broke into a trot and closed the distance to the Empire battle line, readying for a charge. He shifted his own mount over a bit so he could see the wizard, making ready to charge him when the knights hit the main line. At Damsel Nichol’s discretion, the peasant bowmen turned to face the pistoliers bearing down on them and loosed their bows at the young nobles. Three were pin-cushioned by the cloud of arrows and the rest fled from the field, unable to take any further part in the battle today. Damsel Nichol smiled once more.

We are truly blessed by the lady today.
* * * * *
Gustav grimaced through the pain felt earlier from that woman’s counter-magic. His side ached and he felt a rib or two broken. Nevertheless he concentrated his powers at the large unit of knights once more, finally beating aside his opposition’s defenses and striking hard and true. Three knights suddenly burst into flames, falling off their horses as they attempted to beat out the flames. Another knight fell to the fire, screaming as he roasted inside his armor. Their companions were horrified at their grisly deaths but did not slow in their advance towards the Empire.

Fritz lined up the cannon for another shot at the knights and lit the fuse. However, when it was supposed to go off, it didn’t. Puzzled, Fritz kicked the thing, then got his crew to work cleaning out the barrel and finding the cause of the misfire.

The hand gunners, finally in range, punched another knight off his saddle with their combined firepower.

[Andrew]

The second half:

* * * * *
Paladin Ayden smiled. The Empire wizard had been too focused on casting his spell on the knights to know he approached. At his signal his pegasus took to the air and descended on the wizard. The look of surprise was total on his face when he turned to see the Paladin drop out of the sky, and stuck forever so when his head was lopped off by Ayden’s gleaming sword. Pausing to breathe a quick prayer to the lady, he wheeled about, making ready to charge the hand gunners.

Damsel Nichol took her accompanying peasant bowmen as close to the enemy as she dared and watched as the Knights of the Realm thundered towards the spearmen. Hooves ripping up great clods of earth, they lowered their lances as they let out a war-cry. Sunshine gleamed off their armor as they struck the foe, an explosion of metallic rings as they impaled them on their lances and sent bodies flying from the sheer force of impact. The spearmen turned to flee, but the horsemen ran them down, slaughtering them all. Nichol smiled. The lowly Empire troops would be taught not to mock Bretonnia this day!
* * * * *
Fritz suddenly felt a cold fear in his stomach. The whole reason they were there was now dead at the hands the knight on the pegasus and the unit of spearmen a bit distance to his right were butchered by the fury of the knights. His cannon was still inoperative and word was passed down the line that the mortar had also misfired and would take time to be able to fire again. The hand gunners and swordsmen came about to receive whatever charges the Bretonnians had to give as he worked furiously to get the cannon working. Finally realizing the problem, he replaced the heavy wick. “Load the cannon up with grapeshot!” he ordered. He hoped that the armor the knights wore, seemingly impervious to a cannon shot, was not so good against a spray of smaller balls. They’ll not forget that in a hurry, he noted with a half chuckle.
* * * * *
Ayden flew at the small unit of hand gunners and as he landed swung his bright sword in glittering arcs, hacking down two of the despised Empire troops while his trusty pegasus smashed down another with its great hooves. They struck back with the butts of their guns but they were no match for the consummate skill of the paladin in their midst and they fled. Ayden spurred his mount on and he chased down the hand gunners, scattering them into the field, unable to take any more decisive actions in this battle. Turning in his saddle, he watched as the bowmen notched arrows to their longbows and released them towards the mortar crew. One fell silently, clutching his destroyed throat where pierced by wooden shaft. He saw his brave knights coming about to charge the other hand gunners and knew those Empire men were doomed.
* * * * *
Fritz tracked the lateral movement of the knights about to charge the hand gunners and fired, spraying small lead balls among the crowded horsemen. One fell when it punched through his breastplate and out the other side, blood flowing freely and mixing with the earth. He saw however that they weren’t going to be stopped and mouthed a prayer to Sigmar for those hand gunners, but knew it wouldn’t be enough.

The knights slammed into the hand gunners, battering them aside and ground them under hoof and lance. Halting, they reformed to face Fritz and he was afraid. He heard the screams of the mortar crew as they were cut down by the paladin. All that stood of the Empire lines was the swordsmen and his crew. Suddenly he felt an intense pain in his side and he looked down. The shaft of an arrow protruded from his abdomen. Blood started dribbling from his mouth and he looked around. He hadn’t even noticed the rest of his crew’s cries for help. They were studded with arrows more than him but just the same. He dropped wordlessly to the ground with a thump.
* * * * *
With his shining knights charging the last Empire unit alive on the battlefield, Paladin Ayden flew in and assaulted their flank. The swordsmen put up a valiant fight, but in the end it wasn’t to be and they scattered and fled from the field, leaving broken, bloody comrades behind. Ayden raised his sword in the air, yelling “For the Lady and Carcassone!” The day was won.

[Andrew]

Otho's Fluff


Letter from Lord Draxum to Emperor Karl Franz.

Emperor and true ruler of man,
Today, is a sad day for the Order of Light. One of our numerous armies fell in battle to an upstart prince from Bretonnia. Wizard Gustuv and the army fought valiantly but fell to the backwards ways of the Bretonnians. The Bretonnian army, so I am told by one of the lone survivors of the battle, seemed to have a unnatural defense against our weapons. This is surely the taint of chaos, among our neighbors to the west.
I beg of thee, the chance to rid the bretonnians of the curse of Chaos by forming another army to destroy the upstart prince, Who I am sure has hopes on taking over the very throne that my lord now sits upon. The prince must have come into contact with the dark powers in order to defeat one of our glorious armies.
I humbly request Lord that you send reinforcements. We lost some artillery which is priceless and as I said we lost Gustav. How fare my knights in the service of the Emperor. I hope they serve you well and will be returning soon to fight off the Bretonnians that raid and pillage the lands surrounding the Iubeo Lux stronghold.
We are preparing to take the battle to the heretic, known as Ayden, he shall feel the wrath of Sigmar whether in this life or the next. Praise be to Sigmar.

For the Emperor and Sigmar,
Lord Draxum

[Andrew]

"Lord Ayden, our scouts report the reptilean creatures moving to join the encampment of Empire outside our borders, near the site of our last skirmish."

Ayden pondered over this. What are they up to now? They weren't successful in reaching our Grail Chapel for whatever they were seeking. Perhaps they are tenacious enough not to give up after such a sound whipping. Whether from bravery or imperial will is yet to be seen. He chuckled at the memory of the cowardly spearmen being run down by his knights.
Maybe it's the will...

"Send word to the peasantry. We'll need more men. If those lowly Empire 'nobility' wish to make war, we will not disappoint!"

* * * * *

Otho


"Scouts approach your greatness!!!" some of Lord Draxum's reptilian allies were approaching the camp.

"Find out what they saw, at the heretics camp."
Lord Draxums personal guard made up of converted tuetogen Guard surrounded him as he walked to the earth wall his army had constructed around their camp. The smoke from the heretics camp could be seen and Draxum knew battle would be at hand soon. He needed what was in that Grail chapel for his plans. He would stop at nothing to get it. "Where are my knights, damn it, we need those if we are to put up any kind of defense against these bretonnians?"

"They are still a week away my lord" said Manfred Gothrum his Tuetogen Champion who had been at his side for 6 years now.

"Lord, a reptilian priest is here to report the skinks findings."

The small but dangerous priest stepped forward. "Lord Drassum, my scouts report that...the horse lords know of our position and that they are calling for more troops. That isth all."

"Thank you, Chuxoq, your soldiers services have been invaluable." Draxum said as he wished the disgusting creature would leave his presence...once he had the materials he needed he would no longer need the Lizardmen's armies for support. He smiled as he imagined his glorious future.

[Andrew]

Otho


Lord Draxum, hammer in hand walked over the field full of corpses. Corpses of brave empire soldiers. The taint of Chaos was strong inside the Bretonnian camp. For them to have beaten aside two empire armies this easily could only mean one thing, Chaos corruption.

So many brave soldiers were dead. Draxum walked towards the only survivors. His Guard sat atop thier horses waiting for thier orders. All that remained of his army were five woodsmen and one pistolier.

"Well soldiers, what went wrong here?" Draxum asked the soldiers..the pistolier began to open his mouth to talk, "Silence, do not insult the dead with the sound of your excuses!! Many brave soldiers died with honor today, they died fighting against the heretical Bretonnians. Yet you six survive, why is that? I will tell you why because you are all cowards."

Draxum sighed "You pistolier, what is your name?"

The pistolier walked forward "I am Gregory IV of the house of Bechafen." he answered in way only someone of Nobility could answer.

"Well Gregory...How do you think I should punish you six for being cowards?" Gregory began to speak but before the first word left his mouth Lord Draxum sprang, so fast were his movements that Gregory did not even realize he had been attacked until after the hammer had smashed his skull. His body slumped lifeless to ground. Draxum wiped the blood on his hammer on one of the woodsmens tunic. "This is what happens to cowards in the Order of Light. I suggest you learn from this experience, and do not fail me again, and if you do you had better die trying."

He walked away from the stunned woodsmen. "Manfred, send a letter to the Duke of Bechafen and inform him that his son died fighting the tainted Bretonnians, and that we could use more troops to get revenge. Burn this field, I want nothing left that reminds me of this battle."

"Lord, should we retire to Iubeo Lux stronghold?" Manfred asked

"No, this is as I was told it would be:
In the land of the dead ye shall gain fame,
The horse lords shall be your bain,
To the Chapel you must go,
To claim the helm of the warriors of snow.
I shall follow the prophecy of Sigmar, and we shall reach our glorious future." Draxum smiled as the sun set. The flames would burn for two days erasing any trace of the battle or Draxums loss.

[Andrew]

Paladin Ayden of Carcassone marched his proud knights back towards their camp.

For being peasants, they held up well while we took glory in the name of the Lady. Even killed a couple of those foul walking lizards he thought.

The ten or so that survived were huddled by a campfire, seeking warmth, even though the day was warm enough already.

Still, they lost that trebuchet. While it is a foul warmachine, we only have so many and they are difficult to construct.

Dismounting, he walked up to the peasants. They looked up and fell to their knees in adoration. Not breaking stride Ayden drew his sword and struck the flat of the blade against an armored head, addling the poor man and knocking him to the ground.

"There may have been nothing you could've done to prevent the destruction of our trebuchet, but instead of laxing about, you will construct a new one. NOW!"

At that they scrambled off, given direction and wanting out of reach of the paladin's wrath.

He sheathed his sword and walked on, reaching the pegasus knights as they dismounted.

"Well met, brother knights of Parravon. Had it not been for your timely arrival, the battle may have gone a bit differently."

"Paladin Ayden, we are only too proud to stand beside you against this age-old threat. The armies of the Empire wish to defile the Grail Chapel in this area and desecrate scared land, spitting on the Lady all the while! They seek some form of helm from ancient times, and we mean not for they to receive it! Here we will hold, as more knights from Parravon may yet come. When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in the name of liege and Lady. Whilst I draw breath the lands bequeathed unto me..."

"...will remain untainted by evil. Honor is all. Chivalry is all," finished Ayden. They shook in a warriors' grip and parted. Ayden unsaddled his loyal pegasus and went to his tent, but something bothered him. He got up as soon as he sat and paced to where Damsel Elise sat, nursing her side.

"My lady, I do not wish to intrude or offend, but are you injured?"

Elise smiled thinly, saying "My wounds come from the Lady herself." She noted the shock in the paladin's eyes, and followed up.

"She decided that I was trying too hard to control her magic. I had drunk too deep of power and felt it's reward for myself. True Paladin, I will be fine. The Lady blesses and curses us in equality. She will see to my healing, in that have faith."

"As you say my lady. I wish never to see you or Nichol harmed. On that you have my word." Bowing lightly, Ayden turned on his heel and murmured a prayer to the Lady of the Lake.

[Andrew]

Paladin Ayden stood at the threshold to the Grail Chapel, bright sunlight gleaming off his armor. Murmuring a slight prayer to the Lady he stepped in, blinking to adjust his eyes to the sudden, cool darkness within. The chapel wasn't large, only about thirty paces by ten. Yet he would defend it from those dishonorable Empire fools with his life. Colorful stained glass brightly lit from behind formed sacred images of the Lady and the Grail. Lit candles covered the shrine at the end of the short hall, where a small statue stood underlit.

Gingerly he stepped forward, as if his very being there intruded on the sanctity of the chapel. His armored footfalls were surprisingly loud in the tomb-quiet room. He knelt at the shrine and prayed.

"My goddess, Lady of the Lake, hear my prayer today. I pray that we will be victorious and honorable in the battles ahead against the Empire. We would give our lives and choke the entrances to this holy place with our bodies if it kept them from defiling the land deemed sacred to our countrymen. I ask for nothing but that you may bestow your wondrous blessing upon us when we come to blades with the Empire. I go in peace."

* * * * *

Otho


"Chaos is near, valiant warrior, rise and fight the evil that permeates the land..."

Lord Draxum awoke with a start...He had not had visions from Sigmar in over a year. Now they were starting again...he felt joyous and afraid at the same time. Joyous because he got to serve his lord again, and afraid because failure was not an option. He heard men outside his tent talking. His guards were just as steadfast in their worship of sigmar as himself and he knew that he was safe, yet he felt uneasy. As if something other than the bretonnians lived in this land, something more evil than the mere taint of chaos that had worked its way into the noble houses of Bretonnia. No it was worse than that...much worse but he could not pinpoint the feeling. He laid down to sleep again and was drifting off. When the distant rumble of hooves could be heard. He awoke grabbed his hammer and ran from his tent his guard following a few step behind. "Wake the troops!!!" Draxum yelled, horns blared in response to his command, the imperial troops came to life in an instant, knowing to do otherwise would incur harsh punishment , Draxum reached the gatehouse of his small fortification "Who is it that approaches, gatekeep, is it the Bretonnian Whelp?"

"I do not know my lord, the fog over the field is to dense" the gatekeep replied.

Draxum watched hoping that it was not the Bretonnians he could not fight with his army as depleted as it was. Out of the fog came the first figures. Knights gleaming with the light from the moon. "Lord it is the bretonnians!!!" yelled a soldier somewhere down the line on the wall.

"No, you fool, those are not Bretonnians, those horses have barding, those our are knights. That means that the artillery train from Nuln has probably arrived too. Open the gates. Prepare for battle. We ride forth again in the morning, only three days ride to the Chapel." Draxum thanked sigmar for the arrival of his knights, now it was time to show the true power of the Empire. He would not fail again.

[Andrew]

Paladin Ayden stepped reverently into the chapel. By the statue of the Lady stood a knight in flowing red and white tabards.

Strange, I don't remember this knight he thought.

The crest of a great golden hippogryph adorned his helm, and a long sword hung on his belt. He turned, and Ayden the Brave lowered himself to his knees, head bowed.

"Honored knight. In two days time will the armies of the Empire bring fire and death to this fair land. Your men are ready, as are you. You have proven your purity in every way. You've upheld the honor of your knighthood and that of the Lady. Ayden the Brave of Carcassone, your quest has come to an end," the old grail knight said.

Removing his helmet, the hermit drew his sword.

"By the will of the Lady, you are strong enough to sup from the holy grail."

He turned once more, and when he turned back, Ayden saw he held a grail. He was overcome with emotion at having fulfilled his quest to seek the grail and the Lady's blessing. The hermit knight held out the grail, and Ayden took it in his hands. He lifted it to his trembling lips and drank. He felt the cool liquid seep not only down his throat but into his entire body, suffusing it with power.

Ayden swore an oath "I will not fail our Lady, and I will defend this ground from the Empire fools unless death takes me!"

"As is expected of you now, Ayden the Brave, Paladin, and Grail Knight of Bretonnia," answered the hermit knight.

The old knight then held forth a brilliantly sheening lance.

"With this, the Silver Lance of the Blessed, go forth and smite the enemies of Bretonnia. It is trusted from this hall to your hands for it to return once the battle is ended."

Ayden walked out into the dying light of the day, and started as he saw ten knights ride up.

Grail knights! he breathed.

"Well met Ayden," said the closest knight, assumingly the leader.

"Well met indeed. You're all here to defend the chapel," replied Ayden, not so much question as statement.

"Yes. As you swore your oath today, we did many years ago. Our lives are to protect the land. When the Empire comes, our wrath shall know no bounds."

"Then follow me good knights, and you will find us not lacking," Ayden said as he turned in the direction of their camp.

[Andrew]

Otho


Lord Draxum awoke and the sky was dark...the pain from the wounds inflicted by the Green Knight hurt whenever he moved. He continued to lay for a moment collecting his bearings. Turning his head he saw his dead horse and his dead body guard laying nearby. The brettonians had soundly defeated him, while he despised them, he respected their martial skills. For a second he thought his second in command, Manfred Godfried who had been impaled upon the lance of the Paladin Ayden, moved. It was probably just the pain making him see things. Draxum sat up and looked around. All over the dead littered the battlefield...nothing living was in sight. He heard the clank of armor behind him. Maybe someone still lived. As he turned he saw a hammer flying at him, with lightning reflexes and burning pain he dodged the attack. "Manfred what is wrong with you...why are you attacking me!" Manfred did not reply but moved slowly forward to attack again. Draxum ran to the nearest corpse and pulled free a spear from the hands of the dead soldier. As the spear came free he saw the eyes of the soldier open. This cant be these men are both dead, I watched Manfred die and this spearman has a broken lance stuck in his belly. Then it dawned on Draxum, he had felt an evil taint in this land much stronger than the taint of the evil Bretonnians. "Manfred I am sorry old friend, you are tainted now and I must destroy you, I will avenge your death and the desecration of your body." With those words he charged the undead corpse of Manfred and drove the spear thru his head, knocking him over and pinning the corpse of Manfred to the ground. Draxum grabbed the hammer from his friends still moving corpse and ran to the last location of his camp. As he ran across the battlefield corpses began to rise left and right...skeletal arms burst from the ground. Lord Draxum knew that nearby some unholy creature was summoning the dead and would continue to amass an army until it was defeated. He had faced vampires before and had emerged victorious...as he left the battlefield he felt safer but knew there was no safety from an undead horde. He must find the remnants of his amry and call for reinforcements...he may even have to take on some unlikely allies to defeat this new threat.

[Andrew]

Paladin Ayden of Carcassone could feel it now. Half-way through the campaign against the fanatical Lord Draxum it started. In the back of his holy mind there was a miniscule creeping when he first noticed it, but he had pushed it away, thinking nothing of it. Now, with the destruction of the Empire's armies, the power he felt was strong, an indescribable malice that hung in the air.

Night had fallen, and his knights had made camp once more near the chapel. Ayden was praying to the Lady when he heard a quiet shuffling outside the small building. He called the name of his most trusted aide. Hearing no answer, he cautiously stepped out of the chapel.

To his immediate left was a man who was not that anymore. It was dressed in the torn uniform of an Empire regiment he recognized from the recent battle. It stared at him with a red glowing eye, set in a rotting head that lolled to one side. Flesh was missing from parts of its body, and Ayden could see that what was left on its bones was decaying. It moaned, and the smell! Ayden suppressed a gag. With its one arm, the thing tried to swing at the new Grail Knight.

Ayden ducked its clumsy attack and drew the sword he had learned to use since he could first lift it. Cutting down, he severed its body from shoulder to groin. It fell in twain and still the evil light shone in its eye. Raising his plated boot, he brought it down on its skull with a wet crunch of bone and goop. It stopped moving.

Running to the camp, he saw his brave knights fighting a group of the undead, cutting them down like wheat before the scythe. When he reached them they were alive with hatred of what they fought.

"My lord, they have come. Someone powerful is sending the dead against us once more," said one of his knights.

"Burn those corpses so nothing remains. They might return again otherwise," replied the paladin. Those men of the Empire cannot be doing this. They thought I the corrupt one when it was really seething underneath us all along. Ayden thought.

Addressing his knights, Ayden said, "Both of our forces are too weak from our own little war to effectively fight this new threat. We must unite to destroy this menace. Our only qualm with them is that they tried to invade our lands, led by a crazy man. It is yet to be seen if he will agree to terms of peace if he will be too out of touch for his own good. We ride out tomorrow!"

The knights dispersed, and Redemond, a knight of the realm, caught up with Ayden.

"My lord, do you think it wise to ally with such an unpredictable man? He tried to take what is ours by right. He did fail, but that doesn't mean he won't try again if given the chance."

"There are worse threats than a fanatical leader at our doorstep now, Redemond. A man is a man, but the undead are the most unholy thing. They should not exist, yet they do, and must be smote by our hand lest they overrun this part of the country," replied Ayden.

"I see your wisdom, my lord. You truly deserve the blessing the Lady has bestowed on you," said Redemond. With that he rejoined the other knights.

But how will I get that Draxum to see my point without it coming to blood mused Ayden...